Three Surgical Departments Cooperate in Removing a Giant Tumor at Vital Part

    Recently, several departments of our hospital successfully performed a giant nerve tumor resection operation. The neurosurgery, chest surgery, cardiac surgery and anesthesia departments cooperated in removing a malignant erosive fibroma at the vital part of the neck for a 26-year-old female patient. The successful performance of the operation show our multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment work pattern. All departments with different advantages, under the guidance of evidence-based medicine, worked out an individualized comprehensive plan of diagnosis and treatment for the patient in a comprehensive and reasonable manner. This has become an important work pattern in the large hospital of the developed countries in Europe and America. The success of the multidisciplinary operation not only indicates the superiority of the clinical mode but also embodies our powerful comprehensive medical strength and integration level.

    Two months ago, Ms. Zhang from Shaanxi felt numb in the left hand and painful in the left shoulder. At first, Ms. Zhang thought it was cervical spondylosis. However, the pain became increasingly aggressive later. Upon magnetic resonance inspection at the hospital, a giant lump was found at her neck, which was basically diagnosed as malignant erosive fibroma after aspiration biopsy.

    The large lump, at a very dangerous position, is beside the weasand and esophagus, in the front of cervical vertebra and thoracic vertebra, above the left apex pulmonis, accompanies with the large vessels of the neck, chest and important nerve. Ms. Zhang have gone to many hospitals of Shaanxi Province and was told only half of it could be removed as the operation is very difficult to perform. They advised her to take conservative treatment measures like radiotherapy and chemical treatment. However, her condition aggravated over time. So she came to our hospital.

Professor Lou Meiqing, Director of the Department of Neurosurgery, decided to receive her upon learning her medical history, reading all her imaging examination data and making detailed physical examination for her. At that moment, her lump had grown to 350px*175px*175px and adhered to common carotid artery, artery, vein below the clavicle, brachiocephalic vein and vertebral artery. Its outside presses the brachial plexus. The situation was very severe.

    The Department of Neurosurgery immediately organized the experts from the chest surgery, cardiac surgery and anesthesia department for discussing the diagnosis and treatment plan for the patient. According to the imaging materials of the patient, the expert team believed that in spite of the high risk in removing the total tumor and damaging important vessels and nerves, this is the only method that helps the patient recover. So they had to face the difficulty.

After formulating a deliberate plan and corresponding operation plan, the Department of Neurosurgery cooperated with the Department of Chest Surgery in performing the excision of neck and chest. After eight hours of operation, 98% of the tumor was removed without damaging the vessels and nerves around the tumor. After the operation, the patient recovered very well. The original symptoms were relieved. Now she was undergoing active recovery treatment and will soon leave the hospital.

(Source: Department of Chest Surgery, Department of Neurosurgery)